Whether your idea of a great winter family vacation is lying on a warm beach or skiing down a snowy mountain, you'll find lots of fun and relaxing destinations to choose from.

To give you a taste of what's out there, here are eight wonderful winter vacation spots where you can settle into the snowy season for real – or escape the cold for a few blissfully balmy days or weeks.

1. Smugglers' Notch Resort, Vermont

Highlights: Extensive family activities • lots of rental condos close by • live entertainment

Overview: They don't call this America's Family Resort for nothing. Frequently rated the top ski resort for families on the East Coast, Smuggler's Notch has ski programs for kids as young as 2 and snowboarding for those 3 and up. And there's an indoor pool when you're ready to come in from the cold. Year-round zip-lining and childcare programs round out the offerings – and there's yoga and hot tubs for moms and dads.

Kids also love: The tubing zone, pirate ship, sliding board, and bouncy house at the FunZone family entertainment center; arts and crafts workshops; and snowmobile tours

2. Lake Tahoe, California

Highlights: Many resorts to choose from • proximity to San Francisco Bay Area • sledding • kid-friendly skiing and snowboarding

Overview: By far California's most popular winter sports destination, Lake Tahoe has numerous ski resorts that welcome families with all sorts of special programs and packages. Soda Springs and Sugar Bowl lure beginners with less crowded slopes and plenty of beginner trails. The larger resorts like Squaw Valley, Northstar, Boreal, and Heavenly offer world-class skiing and snowboarding (Squaw hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics), all with extensive extras like multiple restaurants. And Heavenly's Adventure Peak and Hansen's Tube and Saucer Resort sledding areas are just as much fun as they sound.

3. Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colorado

Overview: Great ski resorts abound in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, but Crested Butte, one of the last family-owned resorts, goes all out for children and their parents. There's a tubing hill and an Adventure Park with a climbing wall and bungee "flying," and an ice skating rink. There's even a child-sized replica of the town's main street, Elk Avenue, for the kids to play in, on skis or off.

4. Park City, Utah

Highlights: Close to major airport • picturesque town • famously good food • kid-friendly slopes

Overview: Just a 45-minute drive from the Salt Lake City airport, Park City saves you from a long car ride with ready-to-ski kids. And the resorts themselves are right outside of town (or even ski-in, depending on where you stay), keeping travel to a minimum. In fact, if you prefer not to drive you can even go car-free by using the town shuttle. By banning snowboarding and limiting lift ticket sales, Deer Valley Resort creates an atmosphere that's reassuring for nervous first-time skiers, and Park City Resort has its Signature Ski Program for children. Canyon Resort's Little Adventures Children's Center offers childcare for small fry so parents can ski kid-free.

5. Sanibel Island, Florida

Overview: Tropical breezes, warm sun, and gentle surf make this barrier island in the Gulf Coast a perfect place for families looking to relax and restore. Snorkeling, kayaking, and boat tours are popular pastimes, but you can also spot dolphins, sea turtles, and other favorite sea creatures from shore. Alligators are a common sight in the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, while Cayo Costa State Park (just a short ferry ride away) is a hangout for dolphins and manatees. Older kids can cruise on the many bike paths, and the whole family can take a pedal-powered surrey ride.

6. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Overview: Mexico has many family-friendly beach destinations, but Puerto Vallarta stands out for the sheer variety of things to do and tons of family-friendly accommodations. There are plenty of boat rides, aquarium shows, and zip lines, but you'll also have fun just strolling the Malecon (a mile-long esplanade along the water) and sunning on the many beaches.

Kids also love: Swimming with dolphins; hotel pools; and adventure packages that include mule rides, water slides, zip lines, and dining on the sand under a palapa (a shaded space with thatched-roof canopy)

7. Maui, Hawaii

Overview: There's really nowhere like Hawaii for a tropical beach resort vacation, and you'll have a wonderful time anywhere you go. But many families choose Maui for its manageable size, public beaches, and the wide range of things to do, from snorkeling, biking, and paddleboarding to swimming in kid-friendly resort pools. In some of Maui's protected bays and coves, you can even swim with sea turtles or snorkel through schools of glittering fish just feet from shore. And don't miss the chance to introduce the kids to hula and traditional Hawaiian food at a beachside luau.

8. Scottsdale, Arizona

Overview: Most people travel to Scottsdale to stay in one of the city's many resorts, which generally feature a spectacular pool (think water slides) and sometimes a "lazy river" for tubing, as well as kids' programs, tennis courts, and golf courses and spas for the grownups. There are umpteen ways to explore the desert outside town, from jeep tours and horseback rides to hot air balloon trips. While the Desert Botanical Garden might not sound like an obvious choice for kids, it's a great place to take a nature walk, and they'll be captivated by the whimsical blown-glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly.

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